CherryTree, the team behind the popular Borg Cube VR virtual reality-capable gaming system and an upcoming new Borg electronics line, and Star Trek composer Michael Giacchino are joining forces with Education Through Music-Los Angeles for a charity auction -- to be held on Friday evening at Star Trek Las Vegas -- that will benefit ETM-LA, whose mission is to promote and provide music in disadvantaged schools as part of the core curriculum in order to enhance students' academic achievement and creative and overall development. ETM-LA partners with low-income area elementary and middle schools across Los Angeles County that lack the resources for school-wide music programs.

Up for auction is a Borg Cube PC -- featuring an Intel Core i3-8350k, GeForce GTX 1080Ti, 16 GB RAM and 128 GB M.2 SSD -- signed by several Star Trek notables, with additional signatures to be added during Star Trek Las Vegas.

Michael Giacchino

J. J. Abrams

LeVar Burton

James Cromwell

John Cho

Michael Horton

Trek composer Giacchino began working with ETM-LA ten years ago and has become an active member of their advisory board. “What some people seem to forget about child development is that while math and science are essential components of early education, so are the arts," Giacchino said. "In fact, I would argue that without a proper education in music and art, your math and science skills are harder to attain. Music and art are not just frivolous playtime for the kids, they are essential to a well-rounded education and intrinsic to the life experience; teaching us to relate to our world in invaluable ways. I fully support the work of Executive Director Victoria Lanier, her tireless commitment has served countless number of students, giving them an opportunity to express themselves through music. I was fortunate to always have music education as a part of my life growing up, it is so satisfying that we can provide music programs for those who would otherwise not have them.”

Watch and listen to some of the students from ETM-LA's music program exploring the music of composer Michael Giacchino from Star Trek Into Darkness.

For more information about Education Through Music-Los Angeles, visit etmla.org.

The auction will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 3, in the DeForest Kelley Theater (Brasilia Ballroom) at the Rio Suites Hotel, with Giacchino on hand for the event. Fans can bid on the one-of-a-kind autographed Borg Cube both in person and online, and those in Vegas will also be among the first to see the new Borg electronics line from CherryTree. Go to mycherrytree.com for additional details about the auction and click the Sign Up button to register for the live and online versions of the auction; fans in Vegas can also register at the CherryTree booth.